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Vivek from Azra-el
Interviewed by Dazz Torrent
Another treat for you Pure Rockers out there. Today, we will interview none other than Vivek, the vocalist of "Azra-el" and "Sins Of A Curse".
PR: Hey Vivek, Its nice to have you here with us today, Im sure the Pure Rockers would love to know more about you. First of all, Why the name "Azra-el"?
Vivek: We were due to play our 1st gig in Sep'02... we needed a name for the posters and flyers. At that point we didn't have a band name. So after some pondering, we thought, "Hell! Azra-el sounds good."
PR: I heard that Azra-el is currently busy and on hold. Is that affecting your musical life?
Vivek: We're on hold due to the fact that two of our members are pursuing their further studies overseas. As for me, I'm playing with Sins Of A Curse and lending vocals to another band named Wrath Of Gibryle. So yeah, I guess my musical life is still going on.
PR: Tell me more about Sins Of A Curse.
Vivek: Sins Of A Curse is a melodic death metal band from Singapore. With every member coming from a different musical background, the band has a versatile approach towards metal, incorporating these individual styles into their compositions. The band comprises of Iswandi (guitars), Satish (bass), Iskandar (drums) and a dual vocal concept with Candice (clean female vocals) and myself (heavy vocals). You can find out more about the band at http://sinsofacurse.port5.com/.
PR: Where do you get your inspirations from your lyrics from?
Vivek: Hmm... through life experiences, sometimes a train of thought inspires a song. Occasionally, I get inspired by something I read.
PR: When did you first start singing?
Vivek: I think I was around 13. I used to jam with a few friends playing Sepultura covers. That was around 10 years ago.
PR: Who are your favourite singers, both locally and internationally?
Vivek: I feel that there are a lot of talented vocalists in the local scene and it's hard to compare them. Everybody is good in their own way. As for international singers, the ones that come to my mind right now would be Mikael Stanne (Dark Tranquility) and probably Glen Benton (Deicide), cause these singers gave me a shitload of influence.
PR: Favourite local bands?
Vivek: Probably Rudra, Meltgsnow, Meza Virs, Kaliyuga, Eibon and a couple of new bands that kick ass.
PR: What are your other interests besides music?
Vivek: Drink, drink more and drink more and more... Hehe... Apart from that it would be probably reading and watching movies.
PR: Which Azra-el song is your favourite so far?
Vivek: All the songs are special in their own way, but personally I would say that "Where It Hurts" ranks as my favorite.
PR: Do you plan to take Azra-el to a new direction once you guys come back together again?
Vivek: The band has spoken about a direction change. We are looking to broaden our songwriting capabilities. Most of our songs on our debut cd were written 3-4 years ago and it showed the musicmanship of the band then. Of course, everybody has improved over the years as both musicians and listeners. So yeah, we are going to explore new directions for Azra-el.
PR: How is it like being a vocalist?
Vivek: It's something that I enjoy doing. Nothing compares to the feeling when you have when people are singing along with you. Personally, I make it a point to get involved in songwriting and arrangements as well. There's more to a vocalist than just writing lyrics and singing. At least that's what I believe.
PR: Thank you very much Vivek. I will end my interview with you with one last question. Any last words to your fans?
Vivek: Thanx a lot for the support. Glad to have been interviewed. Keep up the support for the local scene... \m/
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